“What do you have that you did not receive?” 1 Corinthians 4:7
Today I turned seventy, and some have asked what it is like. I’ll tell you, it’s an experience of profound gratitude. I came wailing into the world on January 17, 1953, with nothing owed to me. And before I took my first breath an army was assigned to my care: doctors, nurses, administrators, dietitians and diaper-changers.
My first day of school, and the first day of my seventies.
The army expanded as farmers and pickers, truck drivers, and toy makers, jumped into the act to keep my little demanding self fed and entertained. Teachers and preachers, scout masters, school-staffers, den mothers and doctors swirled ‘round my young soul in a tango of training, a ballet of discovery in a world unexplored.
The dance grew with craftsmen and makers of pianos and flutes; of guitars and ukes, designers of autos and airplanes, and pilots who shuttled me to far-off places. There’ve been bakers of baguettes and clerks who sold them to me in lonely airports, and strangers who smiled at me when I was alone, or walked me to the bus station in a foreign city. Firemen and soldiers have guarded me while I slept, and symphonies have soothed me in times of distress.
Others joined quietly: unnamed coal miners, linemen, and gas-field workers who kept me warm and mobile, or kept the lights burning, authors and book-writers, artists and illustrators, balladeers, and inventors, Romantic composers and Renaissance painters who stood me before beauty, while sanitation workers and plumbers quietly kept the toilets flushing and the garbage at bay. Do you see the staggering complexity that has undergirded my life? I get lost in the thought of how many have fed me, nurtured me, inspired and sustained me . Keeping a soul alive for a week is Herculean. Keeping it alive for seventy years is a miracle!
I read recently that the little metal band that holds the eraser onto the end of a pencil requires no less than thirty processes, from mining and smelting to shaping and coating. Thirty processes! And that’s just for the band that holds the eraser!
My mind strains to think of vanilla-growers and chicken-pluckers, of road-pavers and engineers of bridges and tunnels, of builders and butchers, of packers and produce-managers, of cooks and servers and geniuses who keep the Internet online, shoe-makers, shirt-stitchers, of postal workers and barbers who keep the deliveries coming and my cow-lick at bay. It’s no exaggeration to imagine an army of millions has served and assisted me in this great dance of life. How fortunate to be the recipient of all this goodness!
And you, too, are included. Maybe you’ve danced with me for only an afternoon, or perhaps you’ve held me tight over the years. For your part, I am fiercely grateful. You have shaped me by your friendships, laughter, tears, and embrace, all woven together by an unseen Hand, who issues the invitation:
“Your Heavenly Father, His Glorious Son, and the Spirit of Life
request the honor of this dance”.
Profound gratitude. That’s what turning seventy feels like.
*(This post was inspired by The Great Dance, by my friend C. Baxter Kruger).
Dispatches from the Shadowlands 
Happy Happy Birthday, Don!!! You share Jan 17 with our son, Dan. 42 years today!! And Bill turns 70 on Feb 5. Whew. We’ve made it this far only with God’s grace!! Thanks for your always “thoughtful thoughts” Love your perspective and we also love you!!!!
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Thanks for dropping by, Betty! And for the encouragement. Happy birthday to Dan! I hope to meet him one day! January 17th is Ben Franklin’s birthday, too!
We’re all so blessed, aren’t we!? Love you guys!
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Happy birthday to Bill! He shares his day with our oldest granddaughter who just turned 15. Yikes!!
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Don! Thank you for this thought-provoking post. I find gratitude can banish anger, self-pity, fear, and an abundance of other feelings that are harmful to the well-being of our souls, minds, hearts and relationships. I need to, as you did, enlarge my scope of gratitude. 🙏🏻
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Thanks for the note, Sharon! Yep. I was approaching the 70th a bit like a tooth extraction, but a few days ago the Holy Spirit turned my heart towards gratitude, and everything changed. Thanks for the encouragement!
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Happy Birthday Don! You don’t look a day over 60, and you give me a goal to set for myself when I reach th
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Jonas! Thanks for the note! I still pray for you. Maybe we can catch up again when you have the chance!
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Wow!!! How beautifully written, Don! I could feel the depth and intensity of your gratitude. And, I am grateful and blessed to be your friend. Happy birthday, my friend 🙂
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Thank you, dear friend! I have learned so much about gratitude from you!
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This is so beautiful that I’m almost SPEECHLESS, my friend…and you know how rarely that happens!😁
Seriously, Don, I am BLESSED to know you and will continue PRAYING for you daily.
Seventy is just the beginning. GET READY. THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
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Thank you, Jane! That goes deep, coming from an English teacher par excellance!
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You have really touched a lot of lives. May God richly bless you.
My sister Teri would have been 70 this coming August. She passed away last March.
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Thank you, Eddie! Your sister, Teri, was an angel. I was blessed to know her!
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Beautiful piece of writing, Don.
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Lauren! THANK you, dear friend! Your encouragement goes deep!
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Happy Birthday Don, belated. Gratitude your letter like always is written with heart and love for the Father has blessed you. Your picture of the first day of school brought a smile to me and then looking at you of your first day of your ’70s also. Blessed with a full head of hair it may be a different color and some days with a cowlick LOL that’s all right. Blessings throughout your seventies and beyond!
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Thank you, Jim! I have great memories of our visits in Kona! Hopefully again one day!
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Don, I love your writing style. I can’t wait to hear you speak again. Do you have a listing or schedule of future events?
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Thank you, Ken! That kind of affirmation keeps me at it! Travel is picking up again with opportunities in Texas, Florida, Arkansas, Hungary, Ajerbaijan, and lots of church services here in the area. i don’t have anything at the moment in your neck of the woods. 😐
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I was reading this and thinking what great thoughts they are…a unique perspective that I had not considered…and I thought, he’s forgotten “ex-girlfriend” but I guess you did cover that in the last paragraph. One more year & I enter the 70’s with you.
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Haha! Yep… you’re included! Someone else pointed out that I didn’t say anything about my parents and family. Of course they’re a glorious “given”! But my aim was to bring a different perspective. I always appreciate your feedback, Marilyn!
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